My New Strength Routine

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Coco

When my ITB flared again up last week, I did some research on Google for exercises that might help get to the root of the problem. I mostly found suggestions for stretches, but I did find a few suggested strength moves. I used those to build a new weight routine that I hope will let me train for the R’n’R USA Half Marathon in March.

I do super-sets of the following moves, doing 12-15 reps of each one, and then cycling through 3 sets before moving on the next group.

  • single-leg dead lifts
  • military presses
  • push-ups

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  • single-leg curls (on the Bowflex)
  • bent-over rows

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  • single-leg squats (holding on to my elliptical for balance!)
  • tricep dips

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  • lateral raises
  • front raises
  • step-downs (stepping down off a step–I’ve seen this suggested for ITB issues several places)

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  • bicep curls
  • crunches on fit ball

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  • clam shell (another popular one for ITB issues)
  • side-lying leg raises (top and bottom)
  • crunches (various angles)

I can get through this whole routine in 4o minutes or so, as long as I don’t pause too often to fast-forward through whatever I am watching on my DVR.

Do you know any other exercises I should try?

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The Evil Done On My Behalf

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Coco

I love the familiar liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer, but my priest likes to mix things up once in a while, so sometimes we use alternative prayers. It’s sort of like hearing the same service in a different language. The gist of the prayers are the same, but the phrasing is different, invoking different imagery and shining a new light on familiar themes.

We recently started using a different version of the “confession” prayer we say before Holy Communion.

Here is our usual prayer, from the Holy Eucharist, Rite II service:

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The words are meaningful, but the enumerated “wrongs” are pretty benign. Yes, I don’t always put God first like I should; yes, I don’t always treat my “neighbor” as well as I should, and yes, there are things that I did that I shouldn’t have done and things that I didn’t do that I should have done, but in my mind all these things are easily forgivable.

Here is the prayer that we are using now:

God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives.
We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created.
We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf.
Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will.

Almost every phrase of this prayer makes me stop and think, but I was particularly struck by the reference to “the evil done on our behalf.” The phrase makes me think of the wars fought halfway around the world to protect my freedom, of child labor and oppressive work conditions that make the products I buy so affordable, of the animals raised in conditions that I can’t bring myself to think of so I can enjoy my “balanced” diet. These “evils” loom much larger in my heart and I am truly sorry for them.

 

Posted in My Faith | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Training Log: Rock’n’Roll USA Half Marathon (Week 1)

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Coco

According to my plan and the workouts marked on my calendar, this was my first week of training for the Rock’n’Roll USA Half Marathon (Washington, D.C., March 17, 2012).

But my attention was focused on training my new family member–and babying my ITB.

Still, I managed a full week of workouts:

Monday
Elliptical: 25 min
Weights: 40 min full-body routine, focusing on single-leg moves to target my hamstring and glutes

Tuesday (First run with Tiger Lilly)
Neighborhood run: 3.8 miles
She did great! We averaged a 9:45 min/mile pace and she trotted nicely by my side.

Wednesday
Elliptical: 15 min
Weights: 40 min full-body routine

Thursday (Second run with Tiger Lilly)
Neighborhood run: 4.0 miles
She bonked at 1.5 miles. Well, I think she was spooked by the dark shadows, shiny puddles, and traffic. We made it the rest of the way with a few walk breaks. Monday I will take her out for a daylight run and see if she is more comfortable.

Friday
Elliptical: 15 min
Weights: 50 min full-body routine
I think I took longer today because I kept stopping to fast-forward through The Biggest Loser.

Saturday (Long run on the bike path)
I got a late start, opting to let the sun wake me up and taking Tiger Lilly out for a walk before I got ready to go. By then, I decided that I need a cup of coffee and a piece of toast (with PB and honey) to fuel what felt like a mid-morning run. (I hit “start” on my Garmin just before 9:00 am.) 
I had 9 miles on the calendar, and decided to go for 9-10 because my ITB was feeling better and I had plenty of time. Apparently, my ITB was just teasing me. It felt tight almost right away, although it was more of an annoyance at first. By mile 5-6 it was really bothering me. I stopped at mile 7 to stretch and then tried to keep an easy pace. It felt better than before I had stopped, but it still was nagging. I decided to stop at 9.25 miles (back at my starting point) instead of plodding on to hit 10 miles. I stretched at the park, and then headed home for my foam roller.
Now that I see my Garmin data, I wonder if I started off too quickly. I honestly didn’t feel like I was running that fast.

Garmin data:
Total distance: 9.25 miles
Total time: 1:23:30
Avg. pace: 9:01 min/mile
Split times: 9:15, 8:53, 8:54, 8:47, 8:59, 8:52, 9:17, 9:06, 9:09, 9:03

I also am walking Tiger Lilly at least once a day, in a 1 mile loop around our “block.” She keeps a fast pace and we live in a hilly neighborhood, so my calves and glutes are getting extra action.

Posted in Fitness, Training Log | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Chocolate That Won’t Wreck Your Resolutions

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Coco

After my post about brownies, I thought I should share my favorite ways to work chocolate into my healthy living plan.

I like to have a chocolate protein shake before I workout with weights:

This is the best protein powder I’ve tried. There is no icky aftertaste and one scoop has only 110 calories. Dump a scoop in a blender with a scant cup of water and a bit of crushed ice and the result is yummy chocolatey goodness.

Depending on how hungry I am in the afternoon, I may have a 140 calorie Chocolate Brownie Cliff Z-Bar:

(look how I tore into that box!)

or a 190 calorie Chocolate Peppermint Stick Luna Bar:

These taste like a big, satisfying Thin Mint. Yum!

On weekends or for an evening snack, I often have a Double Chocolate VitaMuffin:

(I prefer the full-sized muffins to the muffin tops, and don’t like the brownies at all.)
The VitaMuffins are frozen, and 15 seconds in the microwave defrosts and warms them–I love how the chocolate chips on top get all melty and gooey (all for only 100 calories).

Now, these are all good chocolatey treats, but when I need a dose of the real thing, I don’t mess around:

90% cocoa may be too much for most people, but I really like it. It certainly is something to savor slowly, and I never really even want more than one square. I have to be careful about enjoying this at night, though, because I swear it can keep me awake!

Have you tried any of these chocolate concoctions?

What is your favorite way to enjoy chocolate?

Posted in Fitness | 10 Comments

Three Things Thursday (Winter’s Simple Pleasures)

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Coco

Now that winter weather has arrived, I find myself savoring these warm, simple pleasures.

1.  Our towel warmer

My husband turns it on for me while I am doing my workout, so my towel is extra-toasty when I get out of the shower. Ahhhh.

2.  Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

I don’t usually drink coffee after breakfast, but this time of year I find myself craving peppermint mochas. At least my tall-skim-one pump peppermint-one pump mocha doesn’t have too many calories, but even if it did it would be worth it.

3.  The heated seats in my car.

As illustrated in this technical diagram, both the bottom and back of the seats get warm!

What simple pleasures are you enjoying this winter?

Posted in Life | Tagged | 8 Comments